ABSTRACT The presence of nitrogenous compounds can impact biogeochemical processes in the atmosph... more ABSTRACT The presence of nitrogenous compounds can impact biogeochemical processes in the atmosphere, oceans and freshwater, and land surfaces. As a result, a number of regulations exist that are intended to control the amount and forms of nitrogen present in the environment. These range from the newly proposed Transport Rule, both the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen oxide targeted at ozone and particulate matter formation and nitrogen deposition, and waterbody requirements such as the Total Maximum Daily Load. This talk will cover a subset of research activities at EPRI that inform environmental nitrogen concerns. A multimedia modeling framework has facilitated effect studies of atmospheric loadings on ecosystems. Improvements in emissions estimates, such as for mobile sources, suggest large current underestimates that will substantially impact air quality modeling of nitrogen oxides. Analyses of wintertime nitrate formation in the northern U.S. are demonstrating the roles of NH3 and NOx in particle formation there. Novel measurements of power plant stack emissions suggest operating configurations can influence the isotopic composition of emitted NOx. Novel instruments for ambient measurements of nitrogen, and suggestions for improved deposition estimates, are being developed. EPRI results suggest that multimedia solutions across multiple economic sectors, such as electrification of a wide variety of engines and water quality treatment and trading, have the potential to improve environmental quality effectively.
A scientifically rigorous treatment of particulate matter within the framework of the Community M... more A scientifically rigorous treatment of particulate matter within the framework of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is provided by CMAQ-MADRID (Model for Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution). CMAQ-MADRID is used to simulate the fate and transport of ambient gases and particulate matter (PM) during the Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observational (BRAVO) study. The configuration of
We propose and solve approximately a phenomenological model for Anderson localization of the macr... more We propose and solve approximately a phenomenological model for Anderson localization of the macroscopic wavefunction for an inhomogeneous superconductor quenchdisordered on the mesoscale of the order of the coherence length £oOur treatment is based on the non-linear Schrodinger equation resulting from the Ginzburg-Landau freeenergy functional having a spatially random coefficient representing spatial disorder of the pairing interaction. Linearization of the equation, valid close to the critical temperature TCi or to the upper critical field H^ (Te) maps it to the Anderson localization problem with Tc identified with the mobility edge. For the highly anisotropic high-Tc materials and thin (2D) films in the quantum Hail geometry, we predict windows of re-entrant superconductivity centered at integrally spaced temperature values. Our model treatment also provides a possible explanation for the critical current Jc± becoming non-zero on cooling before Jc|| does in some high-T^ superconductors.
Background: Malaria and tuberculosis are endemic in many parts of the developing world and co-inf... more Background: Malaria and tuberculosis are endemic in many parts of the developing world and co-infection with both pathogens is common. In a murine model, we showed a higher organ burden of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in co-infected mice as compared to mice infected with Mtb only. In this study, we examine the effect of Mtb on the course of infection with a lethal strain of Plasmodium yoelii (PY17XL). Methods: C57BL/6 mice were aerosol-infected with low dose (50-100 organisms in lung per mouse) Mtb. Two weeks later, mice were infected intraperitoneally with PY17XL (105 parasites per mouse). Control groups included uninfected mice, and mice infected with PY17XL or Mtb alone. Disease burden was monitored by interval parasitemia and mortality. Splenocyte interferon-γ (IFN- γ) and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) production was measured at different time points after PY17XL infection. Results: Co-infected mice had increased survival (89% vs 33%, p<0.01) compared to mice infected with PY1...
Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the cytokine genes, TNF- (-308 G/A), and IL-10 (-1082 A /... more Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the cytokine genes, TNF- (-308 G/A), and IL-10 (-1082 A /G and-819 T/C) associated with protection and susceptibility to parasitic infections were examined in samples from school aged children in the Eastern district of Zimbabwe. Whole blood specimens were obtained from 491 children between the ages of 5 – 16 years, of which 26.9% were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and 73.1% were not infected. Genotyping was carried out using the amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). The prevalence of TNF- genotypes GG, GA and AA associated with low, intermediate and high cytokine production was 80, 19 and 2%, respectively. Wild type alleles TNF-α-308G* predominated in both infected and uninfected individuals in the study. For IL-10 (position-819) the distribution of wild-type alleles CC*, heterozygotes and mutant carriers TT* was 64, 27 and 9%, respectively, and a similar analysis of the polymorphisms on positio...
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission o... more Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission of malaria from human hosts to the mosquito vector. Assessment of gametocyte carriers in the population is critical in understanding malaria transmission dynamics and in epidemiology studies. We applied a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based approach to detect pfs25 transcripts from blood dried on different filter papers in the laboratory. The detection limit was 1-2 gametocytes/microL. We further validated this assay by analyzing RNA in 10 matched blood samples (liquid blood and blood spotted on filter papers) collected from subjects under field conditions in Zambia. These results thus establish feasibility of detection of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes by RT-PCR method from dried blood on filter paper. This assay will greatly facilitate bulk analysis of gametocyte RNA transcripts on filter paper, especially in areas where collection and preservation of liqui...
The role of mast cells (MCs) in contact hypersensitivity (CHS) remains controversial. This is due... more The role of mast cells (MCs) in contact hypersensitivity (CHS) remains controversial. This is due in part to the use of the MC-deficient Kit (W/Wv) mouse model, since Kit (W/Wv) mice congenitally lack other types of cells as a result of a point mutation in c-kit. A recent study indicated that the intronic enhancer (IE) for Il4 gene transcription is essential for MCs but not in other cell types. The aim of this study is to re-evaluate the roles of MCs in CHS using mice in which MCs can be conditionally and specifically depleted. Transgenic Mas-TRECK mice in which MCs are depleted conditionally were newly generated using cell-type specific gene regulation by IE. Using this mouse, CHS and FITC-induced cutaneous DC migration were analyzed. Chemotaxis assay and cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ imaging were performed by co-culture of bone marrow-derived MCs (BMMCs) and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). In Mas-TRECK mice, CHS was attenuated when MCs were depleted during the sensitization phase....
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2008
Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission o... more Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission of malaria from human hosts to the mosquito vector. Assessment of gametocyte carriers in the population is critical in understanding malaria transmission dynamics and in epidemiology studies. We applied a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based approach to detect pfs25 transcripts from blood dried on different filter papers in the laboratory. The detection limit was 1-2 gametocytes/microL. We further validated this assay by analyzing RNA in 10 matched blood samples (liquid blood and blood spotted on filter papers) collected from subjects under field conditions in Zambia. These results thus establish feasibility of detection of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes by RT-PCR method from dried blood on filter paper. This assay will greatly facilitate bulk analysis of gametocyte RNA transcripts on filter paper, especially in areas where collection and preservation of liqui...
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the recommended first-line treatment forPlasmodium... more Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the recommended first-line treatment forPlasmodium falciparummalaria. It has been suggested that the cytotoxic effect of artemisinin is mediated by free radicals followed by the alkylation ofP. falciparumproteins. The endoperoxide bridge, the active moiety of artemisinin derivatives, is cleaved in the presence of ferrous iron, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals. However, the emergence of resistance to artemisinin inP. falciparumunderscores the need for new insights into the molecular mechanisms of antimalarial activity of artemisinin. Here we show that artesunate (ART) induces DNA double-strand breaks inP. falciparumin a physiologically relevant dose- and time-dependent manner. DNA damage induced by ART was accompanied by an increase in the intracellular ROS level in the parasites. Mannitol, a ROS scavenger, reversed the cytotoxic effect of ART and reduced DNA damage, and modulation of glutathione (GSH) lev...
Implications of Multi-resolution AOD retrievals for Air Quality Studies This paper examines the r... more Implications of Multi-resolution AOD retrievals for Air Quality Studies This paper examines the robustness of multi-resolution (2-km, 5-km and 10-km) AOD retrievals using MODIS measurements and with the sunphotometer measurements over the period 2000 to 2007 in two distinct aerosol loading environments: Bondville (USA) and Kanpur (India), with multi-annual mean (±standard deviation) of 0.161±0.0006 and 0.547±0.001, respectively. Our analysis suggests that 2-km and 5-km AODMODIS are significantly better correlated with the sunphotometer measurements as compared to 10-km AODMODIS irrespective of background aerosol loading. The best correlation (~0.91) is observed when both datasets are aggregated within the smallest space and time intervals of 0.025° and 15 minutes, and then the correlation decreases sharply with distance >0.075° and time interval >30 minutes. Based on these findings it is expected that the association between ground measurements of ambient particulates of diffe...
... Raman investigations of Zn 1−x Co x O nanocrystals: role of starting precursors on vibrationa... more ... Raman investigations of Zn 1−x Co x O nanocrystals: role of starting precursors on vibrational properties. Richa Bhargava 1 ,; Prashant K. Sharma 2 ,; Sanjeev Kumar 3 ,; Avinash C. Pandey 2 ,; Naresh Kumar 1,*. ... 2010, 120, 393. CrossRef. [6] S. Thota, T. Dutta, J. Kumar, J. Phys. ...
ABSTRACT The presence of nitrogenous compounds can impact biogeochemical processes in the atmosph... more ABSTRACT The presence of nitrogenous compounds can impact biogeochemical processes in the atmosphere, oceans and freshwater, and land surfaces. As a result, a number of regulations exist that are intended to control the amount and forms of nitrogen present in the environment. These range from the newly proposed Transport Rule, both the primary and secondary National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for nitrogen oxide targeted at ozone and particulate matter formation and nitrogen deposition, and waterbody requirements such as the Total Maximum Daily Load. This talk will cover a subset of research activities at EPRI that inform environmental nitrogen concerns. A multimedia modeling framework has facilitated effect studies of atmospheric loadings on ecosystems. Improvements in emissions estimates, such as for mobile sources, suggest large current underestimates that will substantially impact air quality modeling of nitrogen oxides. Analyses of wintertime nitrate formation in the northern U.S. are demonstrating the roles of NH3 and NOx in particle formation there. Novel measurements of power plant stack emissions suggest operating configurations can influence the isotopic composition of emitted NOx. Novel instruments for ambient measurements of nitrogen, and suggestions for improved deposition estimates, are being developed. EPRI results suggest that multimedia solutions across multiple economic sectors, such as electrification of a wide variety of engines and water quality treatment and trading, have the potential to improve environmental quality effectively.
A scientifically rigorous treatment of particulate matter within the framework of the Community M... more A scientifically rigorous treatment of particulate matter within the framework of the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model is provided by CMAQ-MADRID (Model for Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution). CMAQ-MADRID is used to simulate the fate and transport of ambient gases and particulate matter (PM) during the Big Bend Regional Aerosol and Visibility Observational (BRAVO) study. The configuration of
We propose and solve approximately a phenomenological model for Anderson localization of the macr... more We propose and solve approximately a phenomenological model for Anderson localization of the macroscopic wavefunction for an inhomogeneous superconductor quenchdisordered on the mesoscale of the order of the coherence length £oOur treatment is based on the non-linear Schrodinger equation resulting from the Ginzburg-Landau freeenergy functional having a spatially random coefficient representing spatial disorder of the pairing interaction. Linearization of the equation, valid close to the critical temperature TCi or to the upper critical field H^ (Te) maps it to the Anderson localization problem with Tc identified with the mobility edge. For the highly anisotropic high-Tc materials and thin (2D) films in the quantum Hail geometry, we predict windows of re-entrant superconductivity centered at integrally spaced temperature values. Our model treatment also provides a possible explanation for the critical current Jc± becoming non-zero on cooling before Jc|| does in some high-T^ superconductors.
Background: Malaria and tuberculosis are endemic in many parts of the developing world and co-inf... more Background: Malaria and tuberculosis are endemic in many parts of the developing world and co-infection with both pathogens is common. In a murine model, we showed a higher organ burden of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) in co-infected mice as compared to mice infected with Mtb only. In this study, we examine the effect of Mtb on the course of infection with a lethal strain of Plasmodium yoelii (PY17XL). Methods: C57BL/6 mice were aerosol-infected with low dose (50-100 organisms in lung per mouse) Mtb. Two weeks later, mice were infected intraperitoneally with PY17XL (105 parasites per mouse). Control groups included uninfected mice, and mice infected with PY17XL or Mtb alone. Disease burden was monitored by interval parasitemia and mortality. Splenocyte interferon-γ (IFN- γ) and tumor necrosis-α (TNF-α) production was measured at different time points after PY17XL infection. Results: Co-infected mice had increased survival (89% vs 33%, p<0.01) compared to mice infected with PY1...
Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the cytokine genes, TNF- (-308 G/A), and IL-10 (-1082 A /... more Single nucleotide polymorphisms within the cytokine genes, TNF- (-308 G/A), and IL-10 (-1082 A /G and-819 T/C) associated with protection and susceptibility to parasitic infections were examined in samples from school aged children in the Eastern district of Zimbabwe. Whole blood specimens were obtained from 491 children between the ages of 5 – 16 years, of which 26.9% were infected with Plasmodium falciparum and 73.1% were not infected. Genotyping was carried out using the amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR). The prevalence of TNF- genotypes GG, GA and AA associated with low, intermediate and high cytokine production was 80, 19 and 2%, respectively. Wild type alleles TNF-α-308G* predominated in both infected and uninfected individuals in the study. For IL-10 (position-819) the distribution of wild-type alleles CC*, heterozygotes and mutant carriers TT* was 64, 27 and 9%, respectively, and a similar analysis of the polymorphisms on positio...
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene
Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission o... more Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission of malaria from human hosts to the mosquito vector. Assessment of gametocyte carriers in the population is critical in understanding malaria transmission dynamics and in epidemiology studies. We applied a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based approach to detect pfs25 transcripts from blood dried on different filter papers in the laboratory. The detection limit was 1-2 gametocytes/microL. We further validated this assay by analyzing RNA in 10 matched blood samples (liquid blood and blood spotted on filter papers) collected from subjects under field conditions in Zambia. These results thus establish feasibility of detection of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes by RT-PCR method from dried blood on filter paper. This assay will greatly facilitate bulk analysis of gametocyte RNA transcripts on filter paper, especially in areas where collection and preservation of liqui...
The role of mast cells (MCs) in contact hypersensitivity (CHS) remains controversial. This is due... more The role of mast cells (MCs) in contact hypersensitivity (CHS) remains controversial. This is due in part to the use of the MC-deficient Kit (W/Wv) mouse model, since Kit (W/Wv) mice congenitally lack other types of cells as a result of a point mutation in c-kit. A recent study indicated that the intronic enhancer (IE) for Il4 gene transcription is essential for MCs but not in other cell types. The aim of this study is to re-evaluate the roles of MCs in CHS using mice in which MCs can be conditionally and specifically depleted. Transgenic Mas-TRECK mice in which MCs are depleted conditionally were newly generated using cell-type specific gene regulation by IE. Using this mouse, CHS and FITC-induced cutaneous DC migration were analyzed. Chemotaxis assay and cytoplasmic Ca²⁺ imaging were performed by co-culture of bone marrow-derived MCs (BMMCs) and bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). In Mas-TRECK mice, CHS was attenuated when MCs were depleted during the sensitization phase....
The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, 2008
Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission o... more Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are obligate parasite sexual stages required for transmission of malaria from human hosts to the mosquito vector. Assessment of gametocyte carriers in the population is critical in understanding malaria transmission dynamics and in epidemiology studies. We applied a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based approach to detect pfs25 transcripts from blood dried on different filter papers in the laboratory. The detection limit was 1-2 gametocytes/microL. We further validated this assay by analyzing RNA in 10 matched blood samples (liquid blood and blood spotted on filter papers) collected from subjects under field conditions in Zambia. These results thus establish feasibility of detection of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes by RT-PCR method from dried blood on filter paper. This assay will greatly facilitate bulk analysis of gametocyte RNA transcripts on filter paper, especially in areas where collection and preservation of liqui...
Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the recommended first-line treatment forPlasmodium... more Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is the recommended first-line treatment forPlasmodium falciparummalaria. It has been suggested that the cytotoxic effect of artemisinin is mediated by free radicals followed by the alkylation ofP. falciparumproteins. The endoperoxide bridge, the active moiety of artemisinin derivatives, is cleaved in the presence of ferrous iron, generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals. However, the emergence of resistance to artemisinin inP. falciparumunderscores the need for new insights into the molecular mechanisms of antimalarial activity of artemisinin. Here we show that artesunate (ART) induces DNA double-strand breaks inP. falciparumin a physiologically relevant dose- and time-dependent manner. DNA damage induced by ART was accompanied by an increase in the intracellular ROS level in the parasites. Mannitol, a ROS scavenger, reversed the cytotoxic effect of ART and reduced DNA damage, and modulation of glutathione (GSH) lev...
Implications of Multi-resolution AOD retrievals for Air Quality Studies This paper examines the r... more Implications of Multi-resolution AOD retrievals for Air Quality Studies This paper examines the robustness of multi-resolution (2-km, 5-km and 10-km) AOD retrievals using MODIS measurements and with the sunphotometer measurements over the period 2000 to 2007 in two distinct aerosol loading environments: Bondville (USA) and Kanpur (India), with multi-annual mean (±standard deviation) of 0.161±0.0006 and 0.547±0.001, respectively. Our analysis suggests that 2-km and 5-km AODMODIS are significantly better correlated with the sunphotometer measurements as compared to 10-km AODMODIS irrespective of background aerosol loading. The best correlation (~0.91) is observed when both datasets are aggregated within the smallest space and time intervals of 0.025° and 15 minutes, and then the correlation decreases sharply with distance >0.075° and time interval >30 minutes. Based on these findings it is expected that the association between ground measurements of ambient particulates of diffe...
... Raman investigations of Zn 1−x Co x O nanocrystals: role of starting precursors on vibrationa... more ... Raman investigations of Zn 1−x Co x O nanocrystals: role of starting precursors on vibrational properties. Richa Bhargava 1 ,; Prashant K. Sharma 2 ,; Sanjeev Kumar 3 ,; Avinash C. Pandey 2 ,; Naresh Kumar 1,*. ... 2010, 120, 393. CrossRef. [6] S. Thota, T. Dutta, J. Kumar, J. Phys. ...
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